Corn-butting machine.



W. W. MORRAL. 00m: BUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4, 1912.

Patented J an. 6, 1914.

2 SHEETS- HEET 1.

m I 5 2485mm W/w rm wmyw ggfi wgd g UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MOR BAL, 0F MO-RZRAL, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SAMIIEL E. MORRAL, 0F MORBAL, OHIO.

coim-isurrin's machine.

Application filed December 4, 1-9-12. semiiro. I734,836.

"Specification of Lt trs Patent;

Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

is in the meters of improvements on themeans for feeding ears of corn "to the buttremoving device as shown in the machine for which application for patent was filed.

H ferent sizes to the butt-removing device, the feeding deviceis provided with a series of by S. E. and Vii W. Morral on Dec. 23, 1909, Ser. No. 534,583.

In machines of the above type, some diffiwhy has been experienced in feeding small ears and nubbins to the butt-removing device on account of the feed rolls not props erly grasping such short ears and nubbins.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a means for moving ears of corn, regardless of size, to a butt-removing device, so as to positively position said ears in proper relation to the butt-removing device to be acted upon by said device, and to this end the invention comprises a feedingde vice, a butt-removing device and an inclined guide which coiiperates with the feeding device to direct the ears inwardly to the buttremoving device. I

Another important object ;of the invention is to provide the feedingidevice with a plurality of extensible arms which are automatically drawn inwardly as the feeding device moves along the guide, said arms serving to carry the ears of corn to the butt-removing device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel means for yieldably holding the ears of corn upon the feeding means, while said ears are being acted upon by the butt-removing device. I

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machine, Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional. view therethrough, Fig. 3 is a detail top plan view of one of the extensible arms, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation thereof.

Incarrying out my invention, I provide a support or table with a feeding device arranged to move the ears 'otf com along the same. Arranged at one side of, and at the rear end of the support is a device for removing the butt ends of the ears- Whi'ch are being moved by the feeding means. The sapport'is provided on the same side as the butt-removing device with a lateral exten- FSIOII, and this ezdtension is arranged in advance 0f the butt-removing device and is formed with a which extends inwardly 'at' an inclination to the line of movement- 'of the feed-ing device, and is adapted to cov operate with said feeding) device to direct the ears inwardly to the utt-removin device. In order to properly feed ears 0' difcotizperates with .the guide and is automatically retracted as the feeding device is moved along said guide. In order to retain the ears upon the. feeding device'when being" operated upon by the butt-removing device there is provided a means for yieldably holding said car's upon the feeding-device.

In the present drawing I have illustrated one embodiment of the invention and have shown a support or table 5, which is mounted upon a suitable frame 6. This support is formed with spaced longitudinal slots 7-4, and operating directly below these slots is a feeding device, which in this instance comprises spaced endless chains :88. These chains are each driven by front and rear sprocket wheels 9 and 10, which are respec tively mounted on front and rear transverse shafts :11 and 12, said shafts being suitably f supported on the frame 6. The front shaft 11 is preferably employed as a drive shaft and is provided with a band pulley 13, which may be driven from any suitable power not shown.

Supported in suitable bearings at the rear end of the frame is a transverse shaft 14, which is provided at one end with a buttremoving device, which in this instance, is shown as a rotary cutter 15. The shaft 14 is operatively connected to the feeding device through the medium of the sprocket chain 14, said chain operating over sprocket wheels mounted on the shafts 12 and 14.

In order to feed the ears of corn to the butt-removing device 15, the sprocket chains ,8 are provided with short arms 16, which extend upwardly through the slots 7 of the support. These arms are arranged in transverse pairs and to each pair of arms is attached a transversely disposed feeding arm 17 these arms being so positioned that when belng moved by the chains, they will pass inside of the butt-removing device 15.

In order to properly feed the ears of corn,

o regardless of the size of the said ears, to

the butt-removing device 15, I have provided" the support 5 with a lateral extension 18.

This extension is disposed on the same side of the support as the butt-removing device,

A guide 19, which in this instance is in the form of a bar or rail, is secured to the outer" edge of the extension and has its forward portion extending inwardly at an inclination, or obliquely, to the line of movement of the feeding device. The rear portion of this guide 19, extends rearwardly in a plane parallel to the line of movement of the feeding device, the last mentioned portion of the to remove the butt ends from small cars or.

nubbins, these cars or nubbins would not be fed properly to the cutter 15, because of the distance between the arms 17 and the guide 19. Therefore in order to positively feed and guide such'small ears and nubbins, each arm 17 is provided with an extensible arm 20, which extends toward the guide 19. This extensible arm is telescopically arranged within the arm 17, and is provided at its rear end with a reduced portion or stem 21 and in advance of said portion with a depending finger 22, and the rear end of each arm 17 is open at one side to permit the finger 22 to slide. Disposed around the stem.21, between the finger 22 and the rear end of the arm 17, is a coil spring 23, which serves to yieldably retain the extensible arm 20 in its projected relation and in close-proximity to the guide,19.

In order to prevent the extensible arms 20 from striking the guide 19; when the feeding'device is in operation, I have provided a guide track 24, which is carried by the support 5 and is disposed in parallel relation to the guide 19. The dependin fingers 22 of the extensible arms 20 have sidin engagement with the guidetrack 24, so t at as the .65 feeding device is operated, the extensible but is arranged in advance-of said device.-

guide beginning at a point slightly in adarms 20 will be automatically retracted against the tension of their respective springs 23. The guide track 24 terminates at its rear end slightly in rear of the cutter L5, and as result, as soon as the arms 17 pass beyond the guide track 24 the fingers 23 will 25 to facilitate the entrance of the butt ends between the two guides.

The rear end of the feeding device is inclosed by a casing 26, which serves to retain the ears of corn betweenthe arms 17 until said ears are guided around and below the support.5 to a pointwhere they are discharged.

There is a tendency for'theears, when being acted upon by the butt-removing device 15, to have their inner ends elevated from the support 5, and. in order to overcome this objection, the casing is provided with a forwardly extending longitudinally disposed arm 27. .This arm extends above and in spaced relation to the transverse feeding arms 17 and secured to the under side of the arm 27 is a plurality of longitudinally disposed spring fingers 28, said fingers having their forwardends connected to the arin and having their rear or free ends curved downwardly for engagement with the ears of corn.

In practice, ears of "corn are placed upon the support 5 between adjacent feeding arms 17 and have their butt ends bearing upon the guide 19. The feeding device then carries these cars rearwardly over the support 5, and the guide 19 serves to positively'move said ears inwardly to a position to be acted upon by the butt-removing device 15. As the ears are-thus moved rearwardly, they are yieldably held upon the support 5, by means of the spring fingers 28, and as a result, these ears'are firmly held upon the support while being acted upon by the butt-removing device or cutter 15. The ears are then guided around and under the rear end of .the machine through the medium. of the casing 26,

J the guide 19 coiiperate with the feeding device to feed various sized ears of corn past the butter. It will also be observed that the front end-portion of the guide 19 serves to along the support, it is obvious that the feedmg means may travel in a circuitous path, such for instance as is shown in the patent reissued to John Morral January 21st, 1913. N0. 13,518.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is i- 1. In a machine of the character described, a support, a guide arranged obliquely to the length of said support, a cut ter arranged between said guide and said support near one end of the former, and a feeding mechanism arranged to move longitudinally of the support and having laterally movable devices to bridge the space between said guide and said support.

2. In a machine of the character de' scribed, a support, a guide arranged obliquely to the length of said support, a cutter arranged between said guide and said support near one end of the former, a feeding mechanism arranged to move longitudinally of the support and having laterally movable devices to bridge the space between said guide and said support, and means to positively control the positions of said laterally movable devices.

3. In a machine for the purpose set forth, the combination with a butt-removing device, ofmeans for feeding ears of corn past the butt-removing device, and a guide arranged at an inclination to the line of movement to the feeding means and formed by members spaced apart to receive the stocks of said ears, whereby the butt-ends of the ears will be properlypositioned in relation to the butt-removing device.

4. In a machine for the purpose set forth, the combination with a butt-removing device, of means including spring pressed arms for feeding ears of corn to the butt-removing .device, and a guide arranged at an inclination to the line of movement of said to direct the ears to said butt-removing device, and means for retracting said arms during the travel thereof along said guide.

6. In a machine for the purpose set forth, the combination with a support and a buttremoving device, of means for feedingears of corn along the support past the butt-removing device, a lateral extension projecting from the support, and a guide carried by said extension and arranged at an inclination to the line of movement of the feed ing means for directing said ears to the buttremoving device.

'7. In a machine for the purpose set forth, the combinationwith a support and a buttremoving device, said device being arranged at the rear end'of and at one side of said support, of means for feeding ears'of corn along the support past' the butt-removing device, a lateral extension projecting from the support in advance of the butt-remov ing device, and a guide carried by said extension and arranged at an inclination to the line of movement of the feeding means for directing said ears to the butt-removing device.

8. In a machine 101 the purpose set forth, a

the combination with a sup ort and a buttremoving device, of means including a plurality of spaced transverse feeding arms for feeding ears of corn along the support past the butt-removing device, a guide arranged at an inclination to the line of movement of the feeding means for directing the .ears to said butt-removing device, and 'extension arms connected to the feeding arms and rejecting toward said guide.

9. n a machine for the purpose set forth, the combination with a support and a buttremovin device, of means including a plurality o spaced transverse feeding arms for feeding ears of corn along the support past the butt-removing device, a guide arranged at an inclination to the line ofmovement of the feeding means for directing the ears to said butt-removing device, extension arms connected to the feeding arms and projecting towardsaid guide, and means to retract said extension arms as said feeding means approaches the butt-removing device.

10. In a machine for the purpose set' forth, the combination with a support and a butt-removing device, of means including a plurality of spaced transverse feeding arms for feeding ears of corn along the support past the butt-removing device, a guide arranged at an inclination to the line of movement of the feedingmeans fordirecting the ears to said butt-removing device, extension arms connected to the feeding arms and projecting toward said guide, a guide track carried by the support and arranged parallel to said guide, andmeans carried by the extension arms and cooperating with said guide track to automatically retract said extension arms as the feeding means approaches the butt-removing device.

11. In a machine for the purpose set .forth, the combination with a support and a butt-removing device, of means for ,feeding ears of corn along the support past said butt-removing device, and a guide arranged obliquely to the line of movement of the feeding means, said feeding means including an extensible element arranged at right anles to the line of movement of said feed- 7 to feed ears of corn to said butt-removing device,'said mechanism including a laterally movable member, and a guide arranged obliquely to the line of movement of said mechanism to guide the ears of corn tosaid butt-removing device. e

13. In a machine of the character described, a butt-removing device, mechanism. to feed ears of corn to said butt-removing;

device, said mechanism including a laterally movable member, a guide arranged obliquely Y to the line of movement of said mechanisi'n'" to guide the ears of corn to said butt-removmg device, and means to control the lateral movement of said laterally movable member.

14. In a machine of. the character described, a butt-removing device, mechanism a to feed ears of corn to said butt-removing device, said mechanism including a springpressed laterally movable member, a guide arranged obliquely to the line of movement of said feeding mechanism to guide the ears of corn to said butt-removing device.

' In testimony whereof, I. afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM w. MORRAL;

Witnesses: I I

EARL M.-WARNER, G. J. SCHULTZ 

